Open learning opportunities
Past learning opportunities
PaleoGeography: Reconstructing the Earth System through geologic times
Blended Research Summer School
Unlocking the past to shape the future: Paleogeographies reveal the path of our planet. Are you curious to discover more? Join us for this Research summer school!
PaleoGeography: Reconstructing the Earth System through geologic times
Blended Research Summer School
Unlocking the past to shape the future: Paleogeographies reveal the path of our planet. Are you curious to discover more? Join us for this Research summer school!
The ability to reconstruct the evolution of environmental conditions and geographic features through geological times in so-called "paleogeographies" is essential for our future.
For the developing green industry, paleogeographic reconstructions are fundamental assets to assess potential sources and locations of key geo-resources that are now vital for the energy transition (e.g. raw materials, rare earth elements, subsurface storage, geothermal sites). Scientists of tomorrow working on environmental changes require detailed paleogeographic maps and numerical tools to validate models of past and future life and environmental evolutions.
Activities planned:
- Lectures and student presentation of scientific articles (in group) on following topics:
- Plate tectonic and paleogeographic reconstructions
- Records of landscape evolution through deep times
- Hands-on exercises on numerical tools (e.g. Gplates, Terra Antiqua)
- 1-day geological and cultural excursion at “Mont Saint-Michel” – Introduction of evolving coastal landscape
- Visit of geological collections and laboratories of the Observatory of Environmental Sciences of Rennes (OSERen)
- Geo-historical city tour of Rennes
Training calendar
Online: 13 May 2025 from 09:00 to 16:45 and 14 May 2025 from 09:00 to 12:00
In-presence: From 30 June to 4 July 2025, from 09:00 to 17:30
Overall workload, including personal working time: between 75 and 90 hours, equivalent to 3 ECTS
*Changes may still be made depending on teachers’ availability.
Number of participants: 25
Financial support: The EDUC Alliance will support selected students financially, according to each sending university rules.
Accommodation: Students are responsible for booking their accommodation in Rennes for the whole duration of the summer school. The University of Rennes will provide a list of potential accommodation.
Application:
Students from the University of Potsdam apply until 9 March via this link: https://potsdam.moveon4.de/locallogin/5bb71bd084fb969a5af876e0/eng
Students from the University of Cagliari apply until 14 February via this link: https://unica.esse3.cineca.it/Home.do
Students from Masaryk University apply until 5 March via this link: https://isois.muni.cz/cs/incoming-summer-school/application/preApply/?cycleId=1200
Students from the University of Pécs apply until 28 February via this link : https://forms.gle/8VQVgmacEGxV3bHJA
Students from the University of South-Eastern Norway apply until 9 March via this link: https://nettskjema.no/a/487596
Students from Paris Nanterre University apply until 9 March via this link: https://forms.office.com/e/bh1xu0YPgt
Students from the Universitat Jaume I - available soon
Students from the University of Rennes apply until 9 March via this link : https://forms.office.com/e/63GpZxYi8P
Master's or doctoral students in one of the following disciplines: Earth and Environmental Sciences including geology, geophysics, sedimentology, surface processes, climatology, geoecology, geography, evolutionary biology.
Prerequisites: Some basic knowledge in geology will be appreciated, experience with databases and GIS useful but not necessary.
A B2 proficiency in English is required to participate.
Websites of the organizing institute:
https://geosciences.univ-rennes.fr/en
https://oseren.univ-rennes.fr/en
Contacts of scientific coordinators:
Guillaume Dupont-Nivet (guillaume.dupont-nivet@univ-rennes.fr)
Cécile Robin (cecile.robin@univ-rennes.fr)
Eline Le Breton (eline.lebreton@univ-rennes.fr)
Contacts of the co-organising EDUC institutions
University of Cagliari, Prof. Camille Rossignol (camille.rossignol@unica.it)
University of Potsdam, Prof. Jean Braun (jbraun@gfz-potsdam.de)